Blog

You graduated from college a few years ago. You landed a great job. Since then, you have been saving up to buy your first home. Now, you are ready to make the purchase. You are both excited and a little nervous about the process of buying a new home. If you are purchasing a home for the first time, consider these three tips.

Establish a Budget

It is important to know how much you can actually afford. Not only do you need to take into account the down payment and monthly mortgage payments, but make sure you factor in closing costs and other expenses associated with purchasing a home. To help you better understand your budget, get pre-approved for a mortgage loan. If you understand your budget prior to looking for homes, you will not find your dream home only to realize you cannot afford it.

Look at Several Homes

Of course, as California home builders, we hope you will pick to live in one of Trumark’s communities. We encourage you, though, to look at a variety of homes before picking one. You may even want to look at homes which might not fit your ideal. For example, even if you think you want a single-family home, you may find a townhouse is a better fit for your current situation. Even if you want a large yard, it is worth looking at the bigger home which may have limited outdoor space.

Even if you are not yet ready to buy a home, looking at homes to see what you can get for your budget will help you see what is available and will allow you to compare home styles. The more homes you look at, the more assured you can be when you do find the right one for you.

Decide What is Most Important in a Home

As a first-time home buyer, chances are you are not going to be able to buy your “dream home.” This does not mean you will be unable to buy a nice home, though. It just means you will need to make a list of what is most crucial in a home. Although it is a good idea to make a list prior to looking at homes, you may find yourself revising this list.

Things you might consider are whether or not you are willing to buy a slightly smaller home than you originally imagined, whether a specific location or a newly built home is more important, and if you really need the fourth bedroom. Distance from work, proximity to your neighbors, and cost of maintaining the home are also things you will want to take into consideration.

One thing to remember when making a list of things which are most important is that you can always make upgrades or other small changes to the home at a later date. Things such as white walls when you want brighter colored walls or carpeting in rooms where you would prefer hardwood floors are changes you can make in the future. Location, unfortunately, is not something you can change.

At Trumark Homes, we have a variety of different recently completed homes. Currently, we have townhouses as well as single-family homes available in both Milpitas and Newark. We also have single-family homes available in Los Angeles. If you are interested in learning more about the beautiful new homes we currently have available, contact us.